Tunnel forming apparatus



Feb. 18, 1958 J; M. BANKSTQN 2,823,898

TUNNEL FORMING APPARATUS 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Aug. 27, 1954 NGN @QNWmv.

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Feb. 18, 1958 J. M. BANKsToN 2,823,898

TUNNEL FORMING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27, 1954 UnitedStates PatentI TUNNEL 'FORMING APPARATUS .lames -M. Bankston, Tulsa,Okla. Application -August 27, 1954, Serial No'. 452,535

1 Claims (Cl. 25520) l This invention relates to "an apparatus for usein undergroundexcavating work and particularly appertains to anapparatus for use in forming underground passages or tunnels for thereception of utility pipes or the like piping.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an apparatus forforming underground tunnels without breaking up the surface and in amanner so as not to interfere with passage over the surface above thetunnel.

It is conventional practice in the laying of underground pipes forvarious uses that the ground is excavated from the surface to thedesired depth by digging a trench. Such practice, however, entails thestoppage of traffic' overthe surface and necessitates repaving and thelike surfacing operation after the trenchis relled.

Thepresent invention contemplates the provision f antaXially movabledriving means `which forces a driving tube, of a diameter slightly inexcess to that of the pipe to be installed, into the ground at thedesired depth and parallel to the surface and the provision of avibrating means operating on-the driving tube to assistA in `the forwardpenetration thereof.

The present invention additionally contemplates the provision of anaxially movable trolley, which is reciprocaled bya reversible primemover,vand which carries an earth boring member that is vibrated by ameans carried bythe trolley.

Thus, anotherobject of this invention is to provide a carrier whichisreciprocated in a rectilinear path by a reversible prime mover and whichcarries a vibrated earth boring member that tunnels under theground.

The Vinvention further contemplates the provision. of a reciprocabletrolleywhich is moved to and fro on a stationary frame by an endlesschain, powered by a reversible prime mover, and which carries aforwardly projecting earth boring tube, that is vibrated in its forwardearth boring movement and rearward retracting movement by a meanscarried by the trolley.

These and ancillary objects are attained by this invention, thepreferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following descriptionand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus, showing the same inuse;

Fig. 2 is a View in perspective of the apparatus, and,

Fig. 3 is a front elevational View of the apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral designatesa standard or conventional road surface, at the side of which a standardcurbing 12 is provided. Outwardly of the road surface, there is astandard parking surface 14. Considering that it is desired to lay pipesunder the road surface, it is conventional practice to break up thepaving or surface and excavate a trench across the road surface. Suchexcavation is not only costly but it envolves a stoppage of trac, or, atbest, a detour thereof across the road sur face and, further, entails aresurfacing of the road surface.

ICC

With the present inventionyitlis only Inecessary todig a trench 16 inthe parking surface 14 and to .digan open, ing` in `the parkingtsurfaceon the opposite side ofthe road surface. The trench 16 is excavated tothedepth at which the desired pipes are to be laid and at a widthandlength commensurate to receive the apparatus 18, which is loweredinto the trench and raised therefrom by any suitable means.

The apparatus 18 includes a base frame, whichis com.- posed oflongitudinal, spaced apart bottom side bars 20, which are in the form ofangle irons and are transversely connected by cross bars 24. The sidebars 20 and., 22 constitutetracks which support a mobile trolley, aswill be described. Standards 26 upstand from the side bars 20 and 22 andare attached at their upper ends totop side bars 28. Such top bars 28have upwardly inclinedforward ends kwhich are attached to a verticalfront frame 39`which is disposed transverselybetweenthe top and bottomside bars. Suitable diagonal brace bars 32 are provided to rigidify theframe work. The front frame 30 includesA a top wall` 34, side walls 36and 38 and a front wall 40. A foot member 42 is transverselyicarriedbythe lower end of the front wall, `which is formed with a verticallyelongated, rectangular opening 44.

The cross bars 24 are disposed under the bottom side bars and formground supports for the frame work. In this respect, leveling means iscarried by the front frame 30 for raising or lowering the front end ofthe frame work.:

Such means includes a pair of apertured ears 46..and.48,\ which projectlaterallyfrom the` opposite sideedges of the` top wall 34. Securelydepending from the ears, in registry withthe apertures therein, aretubes 50 and 52, which are 'vertically secured,.as by welding, to theside walls of the front frame. A foot bar` 54 -is positioned`transversely under the bottom side bars and has upstand-A ing rods 56and 58 provided adjacent its ends, the rods.

being sleeved through thertubes and beingaxiallyslidabletherein. A bar60 connects the upper ends ofthe rods and is formed withathreadetLcollar type, `opening.

62 in which a screw rod 64 is threaded. The rod 64 is threaded into areinforced, threaded openingj66in the top wall 34 and, by virtuetof suchconnection, -is adapted to raise and lower the front frame, a crank.

jnstment.

A carrier or trolley 70 issupported by theside bars 20 `the trolley`having lwheels 72 `whichgrollonthe in-V turned horizontal flanges oftheside bars inside the vertical flanges thereof. The trolley isreciprocated on the side bars 2l), which form tracks therefor, by areversible air motor 74. The motor 74 is vertically mounted on asuitable platform 76 which is carried by the top side bars 28 at theirrear ends. A chain speed reduction unit 7 8 is carried by the platformand connected to the motor by a suitable chain drive transmissionarrangement.

A pair of longitudinally extending, transversely spaced driving chains80 and 82 are provided and are disposed on opposite sides of the trolley70. The chains have their forward ends entrained on sprockets 84 whichare circumposed on a shaft 86. The shaft 86 has its ends suitablyjournaled in the side walls 36 and 38 of the front frame and is disposedtransversely therebetween. The rear ends of the chains are entrained ondrive sprockets 88, which are driven by a suitable drive transmissionmeans from the reduction unit 78. The bottom reaches of the chains areattached to the opposite sides of the trolley 70 and, as the chains arerotated, the trolley is reciprocated to and fro on the tracks.

The motor 74 is powered by compressed air, supplied by the hose 90 fromany suitable remote source. The hose 90 is attached to a T-tting 92, toone end of Patented Feb.. ,1 8,1 958.

68 beingV provided on the rod 64 forV manually zeifectinge. such `adWwhich a valve block 94 is connected. Pipes 96 and 98 extendv from thevalve block to the motor and the admission of air thereto is controlledby hand valves 100 and 102. The pipe 96 constitutes the forward airsupply carrier for the motor, while the pipe 98 constitutes the returnair supply carrier.

The opposite end of the T-tting 92 is attached to a flexible hose 104which is connected to the rear end of the trolley 70 and suppliesair'for the pneumatic jack or air hammer 106 carried by the trolley. Tothejack 106, that is the externally projecting portion thereof, adrivingtube section. 108 is attached in end to end relation. The outerend of the tube section 108 carries a driving point 110 which penetratesthe earth in a boring fashion. A hand valve 112 is provided to controlthe admission of air to the jack or hammer.

In use, the apparatus 18 is lowered into the trench 16 and, by virtue ofthe leveling means it set at the desired horizontal plane of attack intothe ground underlying the road surface 10. Of course, prior to the useof the apparatus, the trench 16' and an opening in the parking on theopposite side of the road surface have been made. When the apparatus isin place, the valve 100 is operated to admit compressed air to the motor74, whereby the trolley is propelled forwardly by the moving chains. Thedriving tube section 108 is forced forwardly driving the point 110 intothe earth. At the same time, the valve 112 is operated to admit air tothe jack or hammer so that the trolley is urged forward and the point110 is held under compression, the air hammer vibrating the drivingtube. Thus, as the point is hammering into the earth, the trolley isbeing urged forward to form a back-up.

When the lead-off section 108 is driven into the earth to the pointwhere the trolley can no longer move forward, the section is releasedfrom the trolley and another section is coupled between the trolley andthe leadoi section. In such fashion, the operation is continued untilthe driving point breaks through into the opening on the opposite sideof the road surface.

When the tunnel is completely formed by the break through into suchopening, the tube sections are withdrawn from the tunnel by theretractive movements of the trolley. Assisting in such retraction is thejarring action of the air hammer.

It can be seen that an important feature of this invention resides inthe combined action of the reciprocable trolley and the air hammerarrangement for, as the trolley pushes forwardly on the driving tubesection, the hammering action causes the driving point to bore into theearth and, as the trolley pulls the sections out from the tunnel, thejarring action aids in the dislodgrnent of the sections.

While the best known form of my invention has been shown and described,other forms may be realized as come within the scope of the inventiondefined by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An apparatus for forming underground substantially horizontal tunnelsfor the reception. of pipes and the like; said apparatus comprising astationary, horizontally disposed base frame, longitudinally extending,laterally spaced guide tracks on the frame, a carriage having wheelsrotatably disposed on the guide tracks for moving the carriagelongitudinally of the frame, a base plate transversely underlying oneend of the frame, rods upstanding from said plate at both sides of theframe, tubular means vertically carried by the sides of the frame and inwhich said rods are sleeved, a cross bar overlying the frame andconnecting the upper ends of the rods, an adjusting screw threadedthrough the cross bar and rotatably seated on the frame for raising andlowering the one end of the frame relative to the base plate, shaftsrotatably mounted transversely of the frame and adjacent the endsthereof, sprocket wheels xed on the shafts, endless chains entrainedover the sprocket wheels and connecting the shafts, means securing onereach of the chains to the carriage so that the carriage is reciprocatedback and forth by the rotation of the chains, a reversible air motormounted on the frame, drive means connecting the motor to one of theshafts, forward and reverse air pipes connected to the motor andupstanding therefrom, valve means connected to the upper ends of saidpipes, an air hammer carried by the carriage and extending axiallytherefrom toward said one end of the frame, a flexible air hose arrangedalongside the first named valve means and connected to the hammer, valvemeans connected to the hose and a detachable earth boring elementattached to the extending end of the air hammer.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 525,093Collier Aug. 28, 1894 1,823,446 Hansen Sept. 15, 1931 1,932,068Englebright et al Oct. 24, 1933 2,136,152 Parrish Nov. 8, 1938 2,234,451Ransome Mar. 11, 1941 2,319,512 Parrish May 18, 1943 2,559,282 CurtisFeb. 23, 1946 2,693,345 Martin Nov. 2, 1954 MWA...

